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Friday, November 16, 2007

Golden Compass QUESTIONS

I was having a conversation online with someone about an upcoming movie, suggesting a backlash against it. I'd just received this e-mail:

THE GOLDEN COMPASS, a new movie targeted at children, will be released December 7, 2007.This movie is based on the first book of a trilogy by atheist Philip Pullman. In the final book a boy and girl kill God so they can do as they please. Pullman left little doubt about his intentions when he said in a 2003 interview that "My books are aboutkilling God."The movie is a watered down version of the first book and is designed to be very attractive in the hope unsuspecting parents will take their children to see the the movie and that the children will want the books for Christmas.The movie has a well known cast, including Nicole Kidman, Kevin Bacon, and Sam Elliott. It will probably be advertised extensively, so it is crucial that we get the word out to warn parents to avoid this movie.You can research this for yourself. Start with this article on Snopes.com, then go to Google.

This letter went on to distinguish it from the Harry Potter books, which were derscribed as having a Christian subtext(!).

I was vaguely familiar with the Golden Compass books, but haven't read them, so I'm trying to find out:

1. Whether you think the books are anti-God/anti-religion, and if so, how did that affect your enjoyment of the books?

2. Do you plan to see the film? Does a potential boycott make you want to see the movie more or less? Given the limited number of films I see these days, I wasn't planning to see it at all - it's just not my kind of flick - yet a boycott somehow makes it somehow more intriguing.

3 comments:

1. Personally I don't have a problem, but I can see why some might have a problem with these books, because they are aimed at children, and parents (as you well know) are sometimes irrationally over-protective when it comes to the incoming data children being fed to their kids.

But last I checked these Pullman books are fiction, and the the god described within isn't the Christian God, but a fictional one. (Although the larger picture appears to be anti-religious).

2. I won't go see it, just because I could barely stand the Narnia movie, and this movie looks like (ironically) its identical twin.